A stubborn Palaszewski ready for Sunday's fight against Lamas

Some would call Bart Palaszewsi determined; others would call him stubborn. What do you call a guy who stuck with MMA after losing his first four fights?

This Sunday at WEC 39, Palaszewski will face Ricardo Lamas, a last-minute replacement for Richard Crunkilton. He'll take with him the experience of more than 40 fights; quite a number for someone who hasn't reached his 26th birthday.

Looking at Palaszewski's career, you can pick out many points where a sane man might have thrown in the towel. Right at the beginning, when he lost four fights in a row. Or maybe, after three straight losses in the International Fight League. What about when the IFL folded? Or before that, when he lost a decision to some guy named Clay Guida.

But that's just not the kind of guy that Polish-born Palaszewski is. He took full advantage of his opportunity with the WEC, beating Alex Karalexis in his first fight for the promotion by TKO in December. Now, just three months later, he takes on fellow Illinoisan Lamas in a nationally televised fight. Something tells me that if Palaszewski stumbles, there will be no question to whether he will get back up or not.